Touchscreen devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, and the like) have become staples in modern everyday life. Users wish to utilize these devices for some or all of the same tasks they have become accustomed to expect from personal computers. As such, users may wish to engage in browsing activities or launching applications designed for online activity, such as banking, shopping, communicating via e-mail, and the like. In fact, users often engage in e-commerce transactions on their touchscreen devices.
One caveat to these e-commerce transactions can be that oftentimes security problems arise, leaving user financial accounts vulnerable to theft and/or fraud. These threats are universal to e-commerce transactions, but are especially troublesome on touchscreen devices that often have dedicated applications (or “apps”) for e-commerce sites or services. For example, a user may have a banking app as well as a discount or deal app (e.g., a GROUPON app, GOOGLE Deals app, etc.) easily accessible on his or her touchscreen device that can be directly tied to his or her payment information (e.g., saved credit or bank card information, PAYPAL account information, etc.).
E-commerce apps can leave a user's accounts vulnerable to theft or fraud. Hackers can hack into accounts by many methods, including phishing (fraudulently acquiring account information by pretending to be a trustworthy source), spyware, insider information, compromised data sources at the commerce location, or other methodologies. Many solutions have been developed attempting to prevent e-commerce fraud. For example, one method designed with the intent of preventing e-commerce fraud (i.e., user authentication), can require a user ID and password to complete a transaction using an e-commerce app. Another known solution is to require a security code (a three or four digit non-imprinted number on a credit card, a user set PIN number, and/or billing zip code, etc.) along with every on-line purchase using an e-commerce app in addition to password authentication. Another known solution is to also require operator “call back” to authenticate a purchaser using an e-commerce app. Yet another known solution is to require the user to fully validate or re-enter his or her credentials with every e-commerce transaction performed using an e-commerce app.